Nuevo Companion

December 1, 2014

Well, ITS DECEMBER!!!! WHAT?!?!?! 24 days till Christmas :) The weeks are passing faster and faster each time I write...I don't know what's happening, but I don't like it.  So...to get to the highlights!! :)

Highlight #1: My NUEVO Companion! On Tue we went down to Xela for the changes. We had to leave at 4 am on the bus to get to the location of changes in time...but, de plano ;) Then I got to wander Xela for a couple hours with a couple of the other trainers until we were needed to pick up our new companions after their welcome meeting! :) So the hour of truth came and we showed up at the appointed location to meet our nuevo comps. The process went like this, in such and such location with (name of trainer) is, (name of nuevo). They got to me and I'M WITH A LATINO!! :) :) He is actually from Guatemala City...but this mission isn't his assigned mission. :) You're probably thinking, WHAT??? HUH?, let me explain. My new companion is what is referred to as a temporal missionary. He hasn't been able to acquire his visa yet for Bolivia, his actual mission, so he is here in the Xela Mission until he can receive his visa. So this means that he could be gone tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year...nobody knows but the Lord. BUT, while he is here I AM LOVING being his comp!! :) He is truly fantastic and my Spanish has improved so much even in just the last couple days!  Haha :) He is the youngest and last missionary to leave from his family. His entire family are members. And they live only a 4 hour drive south of us, wouldn't that be nice ;) Just kidding :) But really, I'm loving having him as my companion! Yeah, I miss my last companion some but it's all part of the mission :) :)

Highlight #2: We had a new experience this last Sunday. Presidente Smith and Hermana Smith visited our rama (congregation)! :) It was a little nerve-wracking, just because it's the president of the mission sitting in your sacrament meeting....and I was speaking! haha :) Ain't that fun ;) But it all went fantasticly! I spoke on the atonement and applying its healing and fortifying effects in our lives. One funny thing that happened during the meeting though...we have a recent convert (3 years) serving as our Rama Presidente and he is still learning some things about how the church functions! :) So my companion and I spoke first, then the rama presidente gave the time to presidente smith and his wife to speak. So they spoke and Presidente Smith took the rest of the time remaining. Well, then things got interesting because after Presidente Smith we sang the intermediary hymn and then the rama presidente got up and spoke for a while. HAHA :) It was great! All the talks were fantastic!!! :)

Highlight #3: GUESS WHAT?? :) :) I received a large boxy brown thing while down at changes. The package arrived!!!! :) Thank you guys soooo much!!! I'm saving it for Christmas, it's tough, but I can do it! :) Thank you thank you thank you :) :) It was just awesome to receive and then awesome to have sitting in the apartment to waiting for me!! :) I'm excited! :)

Highlight #4: Not really a highlight, just a little information about what I get to experience every day :) IN THE SHOWER! :) So we have a hose of cold water that comes through the wall into the shower, and attached to this hose is a heater. The fun part is that this heater only works to certain temperatures (about lukewarm...) when the safety kicks in and shuts off the heater. Also if the water is on too high the heater can't heat fast enough. It makes for some fun times in the shower in the mornings ;) :) A lot of careful guesswork and quickly drying off and getting dressed...haha :) :) You guys will get to experience them when you visit with me after the mission because everywhere uses them (nobody has water heaters). :) Something to look forward to ;)

Well, there you have it. The greatest of the greatest highlights for this week :) I'm loving the mission more and more with each passing day and the days are passing WAY too fast! I love sharing experiences with you because I'm not only called to bring the Guatamalan people closer to Christ, but as a missionary we are to bring ALL closer to Christ--that includes all of you, and my friends, and others that read the blog and those you share my experiences with!I'm loving the new experience of being a trainer and having a latino companion. Yeah it has its hard times, but it's also so sooo much fun! I love you guys a lot and pray for your guys every night!!! Keep up all the great work! Remember to smile and do at least one act of service every day. Hope all is well with all of you and that you guys are having wonderful experiences being able to share your testimonies :) :)

Love your friend, missionary, son, and brother,
(who is still wearing short sleeve shirts every day ;))
Elder Flake

PS The Guatemalan equivalent for EFY (Especially For Youth) is happening this week for the youth of the rama here. Its called SOY :) :)

PPS Yes, I feel EXACTLY like Buddy the Elf here!!! It's kind of funny how much it applies...like this past week we were going down the stairs at a member's home and the clearance from the stairs to the ceiling was just a tad lower than I thought and I got a nice knock to the head....haha :) All good now, but they definitely don't have to worry about hitting their heads ;) :)

Thumbs up for missionary work in this beautiful country!